Olivia Rodrigo






Title: Sour

Artist: Olivia Rodrigo

Producers:  Dan Nigro

Release Date: May 21, 2021 

Publisher/Label: Geffen Records 

Genres: Pop; Punk

Format: Compact Dis
c

Summary

“Sour” is an album about accepting alternate endings, and embracing who you become when you have to hot swap one idea about yourself for another all while keeping up a smile, or a career, or several. .(NYT, 2021) An album filled Gen Z specific tracks, with titles of songs such as "Hope Ur Ok" and "Good 4 U" and references to social media such as "Jealousy, Jealousy." 

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/arts/music/olivia-rodrigo-sour-review.html

Critical Evaluation:

Sour is Olivia Rodrigo's debut album. These are the titles of her tracks: brutal, traitor, drivers liscense, one step forward three steps back, good for u, deja vu, happier, enough for u, favorite crime, hope ur ok, and jealousy, jealousy. She was once a Disney actress in  High School Musical: The Musical: The SeriesLike many teen female pop stars many of the songs are about love and heartbreak.
 
From time immemorial these songs are popular in young people, teenagers specifically and those in their early 20s. As a 40 year - old this album may not be congruent to my life, priorities and worldviews but I see why it's popular among young people. She has a way of engaging her music as if she's in an intimate conversation and you're getting an in on the details. Many individuals into her music, may have very well seen her in High School Musical: The Musical, and now engaging with these now older teens, her age or a little younger with music that they can relate to, connoting social media world and multiple identities. Her cover art in Sour, as Teen Vogue puts it, is playful and Gen Z, with a "fuzzy pale pink tank top and checkered bottoms. The stars of the show (some quite literally) are undoubtedly the stickers that cover her face (Lisa Frank, who?), especially the ones placed on her sticked-out tongue reading “Sour.” (Teen Vogue, April, 14, 2021) 
Source: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/olivia-rodrigo-sour-album-tracklist-peak-storytelling

Listener Annotation: High School Musical (Nini), Olivia Rodrigo debut album on heartbreak.

About the Artist:
Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born on February 20, 2003 in Murrieta, California. Rodrigo grew up in Temecula, California, with her parents: Jennifer, a teacher, and Chris, a family and marriage therapist. When Olivia was a child, her mother introduced her to alternative rock such as No Doubt, the White Stripes and Smashing Pumpkins.

Rodrigo showed an early affinity for music. At the age of 5, she started singing lessons; she was soon competing in local contests and talent shows. She was also writing songs at a young age. When she was 15, Rodrigo landed a starring role as Nini Salazar-Roberts on "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." In addition to acting, she continued to write her own songs. "I Am More," which she shared on Instagram, led to the show asking her to compose a song for her "HSM:TM:TS" character.

Rodrigo performed the resulting ballad, "All I Want," when she was 16. It became a hit for "HSM:TM:TS" and also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020.

Source: https://www.biography.com/musician/olivia-rodrigo


Challenge Issues: Cursing; Sexuality

Defense: Library Bill of Rights and the Los Angeles County Library Collections Policy.

Why I Included: Olivia Rodrigo is a well known artist. My daughter told me about her and said all her classmates love her.




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